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Selena Gomez is Cosmopolitan's cover girl for the magazine's March 2012 issue. Inside, the lovely 19-year-old brunette talks about her difficult childhood, her big dreams and strong work ethic, her friend Demi Lovato, career, but also about love and relationships, and boyfriend Justin Bieber.

Selena Gomez lands
on Cosmopolitan's March 2012 cover. In the interview with the
magazine, the 19-year-old actress and singer chats about her
childhood and growing up poor, her big dreams and strong work
ethic, her friend Demi Lovato, career, love and relationships, and
boyfriend Justin Bieber. Described as being one hundred percent
down-to-earth and a hard working girl, Selena admits that, "I love
to focus and work really hard. I've always wanted to do everything
right. And I constantly want to be better."

She was born in Grand Prairie, Texas, to a 16-year-old mother and
17-year-old father. "I'd have a 3-year-old child by now if I'd had
a baby at the same age as my mom did – that's terrifying to me,"
Selena says. Her mom wanted Selena to be cultured even though money
was tight. "I don't think I would have gotten out of the mind-set
of Grand Prairie if it hadn't been for my mom," Gomez
confesses.

Selena recalls meeting her childhood friend Demi Lovato on set of 'Barney &
Friends'. Their families moved to Los Angeles and shared a house.
"We didn't have that much money coming out here, so we were living
together to share expenses. There were seven of us girls living in
one loft, including sisters and moms and everything. It was really
interesting."
Still, their busy schedules kind of kept them apart. "There was a
point when she and I were going our different ways, because we were
figuring out who we were. Now, we're better than ever," Gomez told
Cosmopolitan.

Even though she became a major star, Selena managed to keep her
feet on the ground. "It's a very vain industry, and I want to make
sure I don't get caught up in that. So far, knock on wood, I've
done a good job," she says.

Top Hollywood producer Denise Di Novi, who worked with Selena on
'Ramona and Beezus', also confirms the fact that the gorgeous young
star is an extremely realistic person.
"You just instantly root for her and love her. And she works
incredibly hard – she reminds me of a racehorse in that way. She
knows what she wants to do, and she's happiest when she is
completely immersed in her work. And she has a sophistication and
emotional intelligence that is way, way beyond her years," she
explains.

Leighton Meester, Selena's co-star in 'Monte Carlo', says that,
"I'm 24 and hanging out with a 17-year-old, and it didn't feel like
that at all. She is really wise beyond her years. But she has this
innocence to her, too, that I hope will never go away, because she
sees the beauty in every little thing."

Now, Selena wants to be taken seriously and grow up professionally.
She will appear alongside James Franco and Vanessa Hudgens in 'Spring
Breakers'. "I am choosing roles and movies and music that might be
a little different and might kind of freak people out. But it's
just me evolving and growing and taking baby steps," she told
Cosmopolitan.
Speaking about her special sensuality, the actress says that, "I'm
gradually working my way toward it - not necessarily toward being a
sex symbol or anything, but becoming more confident in being a
woman."

In the interview with Cosmopolitan, Selena, who is currently
dating Justin Bieber, also dishes on her previous relationships. "I
was in a relationship previously where I had to hide everything and
it wasn't my choice. I had to go through different exits and take
separate cars and do the craziest things, and it just really wasn't
worth it. It was like a year of my life completely wasted," she
confesses.

Justin and Selena started dating in late 2010 yet she officially
confirmed the relationship in March 2011. "Most of our dates have
been online," Gomez says.
On their time spent together Selena admits that, "I'm just like
every 19-year-old girl. If you're in love, you're in love to the
fullest, and you just want to go to the movies, hang out, and be as
normal as possible. I'm fortunate that I've found someone who has
that philosophy."

Speaking about love Selena told the magazine that, "It is the most
powerful thing. When it comes to my family, friends, a relationship
... it centers me. You only live once, and I want to be proud of
everything that I do and just have fun. I want to be able to say
that I had a really fulfilled, fun life."

Read Selena's full interview in the March 2012 issue of
COSMOPOLITAN Magazine.